For those who don’t live near their family, traveling is probably a regular tradition when the holidays come around. The problem with this is that if you’re flying to your destination, you may face some setbacks with your gifts. That’s unless you know the dos and don’ts when it comes to traveling with holiday presents.

Valuable items

Plenty of people put a lot of thought (and money) into their holiday gifts. The only problem with buying such valuable presents is that you’ll be even more devastated if they get stolen or damaged. That’s why it’s essential you put anything like this in your hand luggage, so you can keep an eye on it as much as possible. The only issue here is if your valuable item is quite large because it might take up too much space in your bag.

Fragile items

Some of the gifts you buy for friends and family might be fragile. If so, protecting them is absolutely essential. Again, this might be a case where it’s best to pack this stuff in hand luggage. However, provided the items are encased in bubble wrap – and maybe some clothing, too – they should also be okay in your checked baggage.

Wrapped items

You might think that wrapping gifts before traveling would be the best idea. After all, it means you don’t have to worry about doing it at the last minute when you arrive. However, security is more likely to check items that have been wrapped, meaning all that effort will be wasted. To get around this, either use gift bags instead of wrapping paper or just wait to package everything until you reach your destination.

Liquid items

Taking liquids with you on a plane is understandably more of a hassle than it used to be. That’s why, if you’re planning on buying such items as gifts, you might want to wait until after the flight (or at least use the duty-free shop at the airport.) Although you can take liquids with you in your hand luggage, the amount you’re allowed is limited. What’s more, not all liquid items are permitted. This goes for checked baggage too, where you have a little more freedom with how much you can take.

Dangerous items

You might not think of items like crackers and party poppers to be particularly dangerous. However, their explosive nature makes them a potential health and safety risk to everyone on board. That’s why it’s worth avoiding stuff like this – as well as fireworks, sparklers, etc. – until you arrive. You may also wish to think twice about toys that could be viewed as weapons, such as water pistols or slingshots. If you’re going to pack these, be sure not to do so in your hand luggage.

Flying with gifts can be a bit of a hassle with everything that you have to consider before traveling. Thankfully, there is a way around all these obstacles so you can ensure you’re able to get from A to B with your presents intact and ready to give away.